1 Day Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour (with lunch)

Days
1
DEPARTS
07:35
RETURNS
20:00
PRICE
$105-145 AUD
105-130 AUD

Explore the 12 Apostles and Great Ocean Road without the crowds on this Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour! Your day trip includes all the highlights of the standard direction tour but visits the Apostles and the Shipwreck Coast in the morning instead of the afternoon. By going against the flow of traffic you will avoid the busy tourist crowds, allowing us to make the most of all this stunning region has to offer.

Highlights

Inclusions

  • Light Picnic Lunch
  • All National Park Entry Fees
  • A friendly driver/guide & informative tour commentary
  • Inner city hotel pick up and drop off
  • Audio translation Smartphone app in 10 languages
  • Download the App now from the Apple App Store or Google Play

Autopia Tours operates this tour.

Operates dates

MONTUEWEDTHUFRISATSUN

●Departs all year round except 25th Dec & 1st Jan

day trips from melbourne
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itinerary

Our Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour is perfect for those wishing to take the route less travelled. We cover all the itinerary points of the Great Ocean Road and Rainforest tour (including the rainforest) but avoid the crowds!

It means we drive for a bit longer in the morning, inland through country roads, to come out on the Shipwreck Coast at about 11 am. We then explore Port Campbell national park, including the 12 Apostles, with far fewer buses. Due to the more remote location at this end of the road, we have a fresh sandwich lunch which can be enjoyed at one of the stops along the way. If you are happy to avoid the crowds and have Lunch on the go, this will probably be the tour for you! We then return to Melbourne in an easterly direction taking in the Surf Coast along the way.

We take time to admire the fantastic Limestone stack formations with minimal other tourists. If you are keen to take to the skies and add a helicopter ride over the Apostles to your experience, this is the tour for you! Taking your time to walk along the boardwalks and capture perfect photos of the Twelve Apostles in the morning sun is breathtaking.

Also in the National Park, we head down to Loch Ard Gorge, the site of one of Australia’s most well know shipwrecks, and hear the dramatic tale of Tom and Eva.

Take time to walk down onto the beach and get sand between your toes, or walk over the top of the Gorge and find the Island Archway and Razorback rock formations.

A fresh sandwich lunch is included on this tour. As the Shipwreck Coast is a more remote part of the road, we bring sandwiches made by our baker in the morning with us, so we can enjoy Lunch on the go while we get out into the action. This is one of the main differences between our Regular and Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour, so if you prefer a hot lunch in a cafe, you may be more inclined to take the One Day Great Ocean Road and Rainforest Walk Tour. However, if you are happy having Lunch on the go to avoid the crowds, then the Reverse Tour might be more your style of travelling!

We then depart just as other tour buses start to arrive. We head eastward along the Great Ocean Road; coming inland, we drive through towering Eucalyptus trees until we arrive at a patch of Cool, Temperate Rainforest. These trees provide perfect canopy shade and originate from when Australia was part of a supercontinent. You will be amazed at the difference in the scenery as we take a walk through the tree ferns and marvel at the ”ancient relics” of the Myrtle Beach trees.

 

We make a quick comfort stop in Apollo Bay. Apollo Bay is one of the most popular holiday destinations for Victorians. You will quickly see why. Take a stroll along the beach or quickly look at some local shops. Perhaps you might like to purchase an ice cream? We will stop for approximately 15-20 minutes.

Travel high into the clifftops of Southern Victoria’s coastline winding high above the ocean. From Apollo Bay, your journey continues along the Great Ocean Road. However, it’s only now you begin to see now why this road is world-famous. In this journey section, we will discuss the history of the Great Ocean Road while you enjoy the stunning sunset ocean views.

Search for Australian flora and fauna

Along this section of the Great Ocean Road, we will make stops along the way in search for wildlife. We cannot guarantee where they will appear, but our knowledgeable guides know all the best spots to search for them.

A monument to mark the original starting point of the Great Ocean Road. The Great Ocean Road is the world’s largest War Memorial. Take some photos at the iconic Memorial Arch and a lesson on the history of the soldiers who built this road and dedicated it to their fallen comrades. From here, we will continue winding past more stunning views.

Time for some more wildlife spotting as dusk settles in and our marsupials become more active. You will have the chance to purchase dinner at a convenient stop on the way back to Melbourne. However, as we have already done the long drive in the morning, it is an easy hour back home to the city, arriving at approx 8.30 pm.

We are often asked if we miss anything by taking the Reverse tour, and the answer is no! All inclusions of the regular Great Ocean Road Tour are covered, with the main difference being Lunch on the go and the absence of crowds! If you are adventurous and like getting off the beaten track, then we are sure you will love this Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour.

Also, Wildlife Tours Company offers Yarra Valley Wine Tours to help you explore the best wineries in Australia’s oldest wine region. Our Yarra Valley Wine Tours are a great way to sample some of the finest wines the area has to offer while enjoying the picturesque countryside. We provide transportation and an experienced tour guide who can take you to some of the region’s most acclaimed wineries and help you select a wine-tasting package. As part of our Yarra Valley Wine Tour, we also provide lunch or dinner at one of Yarra Valley’s highly-rated restaurants. You will surely have a memorable experience with Wildlife Tours Company, and we look forward to helping you discover Yarra Valley’s plentiful wineries and vineyards. Our Yarra Valley and Hunter Valley Wine Tours are the perfect way to experience this iconic wine region! Book your Yarra Valley Wine Tour with Wildlife Tour Company today.

Pick up Times & Locations

Our central meeting point for this trip will be the Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders St, Melbourne at 7:35am. The bus will be waiting on the Market st side of the Immigration Museum.

*It is strongly recommended that you arrive at your pickup location at least 10 minutes before departure time. Please be patient and do not panic if your bus is running a few minutes late. If your bus has not picked you up within 10 minutes of your departure time, then contact our office on 03 9393 1300

Pricing & Package Deal Discounts

Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour includes lunch – $145 Adult (13+), $105 Child (0 to 12)

Optional Extras:
Helicopter flight over the 12 apostles – $155 (subject to availability – payable direct on the day)

Not sure about a group tour? We can help you organise your own private tour of the Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour. You can create your own tailor-made trip or follow our itinerary. Contact our charters team for more information at charters@gltg.com.au or visit our charters page.

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Booking​

11 thoughts on “1 Day Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour (with lunch)”

  1. Had an amazing tour despite the mist and the rain. Our guide Hiro was super interesting and I learned that all the vegemite of the country is produced only in one factory, in Melbourne. We went through the Melba Gully Rainforest and it was really exotic! We obviously saw the 12 Apostles and the Lord Arch Gorge which was so huge and so beautiful to see! It was reaaaally windy, which made the experience even better at some points. We also saw the famous Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch!

    I recommand this tour for sure if you’re coming in Melbourne!

  2. Had a wonderful day with a great mix of people from all over the world. Saw the 12 Apostles, feet in the ocean at the Loch Ard Gorge, went for a rainforest walk and saw huge tree ferns and eucalyptus trees, learned the history of the Great Ocean Road. Close encounter with koalas and colourful native birds and saw paddocks of kangaroos! Entertained by driver and guide Simon C. Definitely grab an icecream from Apollo Bay (or something else to eat because it might be a late return to Melbourne. The Aussie tourists on board provided sample vegemite sandwiches! A great day was had by all.

  3. We had a great tour with reversing great Ocean Road. No crowd at 12 Apostles and beautiful lights on the rocks. Thank you to our guide. Lunch was ok.

  4. What a cracking day out. Highly recommend doing the Great Ocean Road in reverse. We saw the Twelve Apostles with not as many tourists as thought we would and loved the Rainforest Walk! Cheers to Jason our guide.

  5. This was a very professional tour, our guide Tim was very insightful and provided great commentary throughout. By taking the reverse route, we were able to take in the sights with fewer crowds. The tour also provided free morning tea/coffee, lunch, and dinner. All in all, a must do in Melbourne and an excellent value for $135.

  6. This was a very professional tour, our guide Tim was very insightful and provided great commentary throughout. By taking the reverse route, we were able to take in the sights with fewer crowds. The tour also provided free morning tea/coffee, lunch, and dinner. All in all, a must do in Melbourne and an excellent value for $135.

  7. Pichuisarubberball

    This is my favourite out of the few tours I did with wildlife Melbourne Tours Australia. The views were awesome and thankfully it was sunny that day.

    Our guide was John K and he is the best guide so far. He told us historical stories and details about the places which was really interesting. While we were on the rainforest hike I came back and saw him cleaning the bus windows and I really appreciated that. Sometimes debris sticks onto the windows because of the cold and it’s hard to take photos and see out the windows.

    Thank you John K! I had a great day!

  8. Danielle R, Townsville Australia

    Did the reverse Great Ocean Road tour. Doing it in reverse really helped with crowds – all of the places we started at had very small crowds. Out group size was nice and small and the tour guide was knowledgeable, entertaining, and really funny. We got to see so much stuff during the day, but never felt rushed. Was awesome to have a shorter drive at the end of the day since we were returning to Melbourne the whole time.

    The Great Ocean Road is beautiful no matter how you see it, but I would definitely recommend this as one of the better choices.

  9. Tanzeem B, Manila Philippines

    We did the 1 day Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour and it was awesome! Before I say anything else, I must mention CHARLIE, our tour guide. His entertaining commentary and briefing on every place kept us really cheered up throughout the whole day. He was very friendly and knowledgeable.

    If anyone is looking for enjoying the magnificent views of 12 apostles without the hassle and bustle of a big crowd, I would surely recommend the reverse tour. The tour bus picked us up from our hotel around 7:15 and arrived at 12 apostles around 11.30 am and not much crowd at that time. I am out of words to describe the view. It’s more than worth every penny. There was plenty of time to spend at Loch ard gorge, Gibson Steps etc. Also the walk through the Otway rain forest was mesmerizing. There were regular stops for toilets and at most of the stops we could buy water and quick snacks. After walking through the rain forest, we stopped to look for koalas and kids really enjoyed the bird feeding. We also tasted the Vegemite ice cream in the afternoon. And to cap off a very entertaining day, the Pizza in the dinner was a really delicious.

    Overall, an excellent experience and would definitely recommend to everyone!

  10. DennisDennis25, Melbourne Australia

    My partner and I took part in the Great Ocean Road Reverse tour. He is from Europe, and had lived in Melbourne for a year and never been down there (I am a local) but we didnt have a car so we took part in this tour on a recommendation from a work colleague of his. The tour was great as we missed a lot of the crowds. We could get picked up from the CBD (very early!). The food was ok, the guide was great.

  11. 5* hands down best tour ive done in OZ. Even in the rugged melbourne winter weather. just beautiful.

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